Job ID: 289702

Chief Program Manager - Livelihoods

Ayang Trust

Location: Majuli, Guwahati, Assam

Apply by: 25 Apr 2026

Relevant Sectors

Agriculture, Livelihoods, Microfinance, Rural, Urban

Capacity Building, Training, Advocacy

Private Sector, Corporate Social Responsibility

Position: Chief Programme Officer (Livelihoods)
Reports to: Board of Directors
Direct Reports: Livelihood Programme Managers and Farmers collectives (FPOs) Leadership Support Teams
Location: Majuli or Guwahati, Assam, with field travel (minimum 14 days in a month) across districts in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh
Joining: May, 2026
CTC: Compensation will be commensurate with experience and is open to negotiation.
Type: Full time, on site

About us:
Ayang Trust works to reduce vulnerabilities and enable thriving lives for underserved communities in Northeast India by strengthening education, livelihoods, and community systems. We work in some of the most remote yet incredibly beautiful geographies with communities who carry deep wisdom, warmth, and a spirit of collaboration. Our approach is rooted in dignity, long-term partnerships, and community-led transformation.
Ayang Trust is guided by the values of integrity, equity, excellence, love, and collaboration. We envision a world where everyone has the choice to live a life of love, dignity, and purpose irrespective of conditions at birth.

Role overview:
The Chief Programme Officer (Livelihoods) will lead the design, growth, and high-quality execution of Ayang’s livelihood programmes. This role demands a strategic thinker who is equally comfortable with grassroots execution and system strengthening. The CPO will oversee programme scaling, build strong internal systems, drive resource mobilisation, and support women-led producer institutions to thrive.
This is a pivotal position for a collaborative leader who believes in rural women’s entrepreneurship as a pathway to social mobility and long-term poverty reduction.

Livelihood Programme Overview:
The Livelihoods vertical focuses on promoting rural women entrepreneurship, strengthening women-led collective enterprises (FPOs), enabling sustainable agriculture, building post-harvest and value addition infrastructure, and nurturing women leaders who can drive long-term transformation. We aim to build one of the largest collectives of women producers in Northeast India with a strong market identity and deep community reach, creating social mobility and reducing poverty.

Key Responsibilities:
1. Strategic Leadership and Programme Direction
* Work as part of the leadership team along with other programme and organisational leaders to shape the strategic direction of Ayang’s livelihood work.
* Lead programme scaling while ensuring alignment with organisational mission and long-term goals.
* Translate strategic priorities into actionable annual, quarterly, and monthly plans.
* Ensure that all programme teammates have clarity on goals, targets, and outcomes.

2. Programme Management and Implementation Quality
* Oversee end-to-end programme design and implementation to ensure consistently high-quality delivery.
* Build systems and processes that support effective project planning, risk mitigation, and operational efficiency.
* Ensure timely achievement of deliverables and optimal utilisation of budgets.
* Strengthen programme monitoring through structured field reviews and evidence-based decision-making.

3. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL)
* Work closely with the MEL team to establish robust frameworks for tracking progress and learning.
* Ensure programme teams use data for continuous improvement and strategic decision-making.
* Promote a culture of reflective practice and learning across the livelihood teams.

4. Women-led Collective Enterprise and Farmer Producer Company (FPC) Strengthening
* Provide strategic and technical support to women-led FPOs and collective enterprises.
* Ensure FPC teams receive support on leadership development, product strategy, value chain planning, and business operations.

5. Partnerships and Resource Mobilisation
* Strengthen relationships with donors, government departments, technical partners, and market actors.
* Support fundraising efforts by contributing to proposals, budgets, pitch materials, and donor conversations.
* Ensure timely and high-quality donor reporting and stewardship.

6. Cross-team Alignment and Collaboration
* Facilitate collaboration across livelihood projects, education programmes, and organisational functions.
* Promote sharing of best practices, collective problem solving, and co-creation across teams.
* Contribute actively to organisational culture building and leadership development.

7. Team Leadership and People Development
*Lead and mentor Livelihood Programme Managers and the FPC Leadership Support Teams.
*Conduct regular check-ins, goal setting, and performance reviews.
Foster a culture of accountability, wellbeing, inclusion, and service.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):
Scale of Women Producer Outreach
*Number of women producers mobilised and actively engaged, with progress toward the 3-year target of 15,000 women producers.
*Strength and Sustainability of FPCs
*Number of FPCs achieving operational sustainability benchmarks, including improvements in governance, compliance, and business performance.
*Enterprise Growth and Financial Performance
*Year-on-year increase in FPC turnover and profitability, along with growth in enterprise activities led by women producers.
*Livelihood and Income Enhancement
*Percentage increase in average income of participating women producers and number of women entrepreneurs supported through enterprise creation or expansion.

Programme Delivery Excellence
*Percentage of programme deliverables completed on time and within budget, ensuring high-quality implementation.
*Partnerships and Systems Strengthening
*Number of strategic partnerships established (government, market, technical) and effectiveness of programme management systems, including MIS adoption across teams.

Person Specification:
1. Essential
* 3 to 5 years of experience in programme design, implementation, management, and evaluation within development or grassroots organisations, with meaningful exposure to rural contexts.
* Strong understanding of rural livelihoods, agriculture value chains, women-led enterprises, or community-based institutions.
* Demonstrated ability to scale programmes with both strategic and operational rigour.
* Excellent interpersonal, relationship-building, and team leadership skills.
* Willing and able to manage rigorous travel, from field visits in remote rural areas to interstate engagements with partners.
* Comfort with navigating complexity, working with diverse stakeholders, and managing multiple programmes simultaneously.
* Strong alignment with Ayang’s values.

2. Desirable
*Experience working with women’s collectives, FPOs, cooperatives, or rural enterprise ecosystems.
*Familiarity with Indian charity governance, donor engagement, and compliance.
*Prior work in Northeast India.
*Strong networks across philanthropic, government, or corporate sectors.
*Familiarity with digital tools for project management and data systems.

Why Join Us:
1. Ayang Trust offers a unique opportunity for individuals to immerse themselves in meaningful, community-rooted work. Here’s what you can expect:
2. A values-led workplace with a committed and mission-driven team.
Opportunities for professional growth, leadership development, and cross-learning.
3. Flexible and supportive working arrangements.
4. A chance to contribute meaningfully to large-scale rural transformation led by women producers.

How to Apply:
If you are interested in this opportunity, please email your updated resume to people@ayang.org.in with the subject line: “Application for Chief Program Officer- Livelihoods”.

Application Deadline:
The deadline for submitting applications is 25th April 2026. Please note that incomplete applications or those received after this date will not be considered. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Selection Process:
Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted via mail. Applications that do not meet the required qualifications and competencies will not be considered.

Selection Process:
The selection process will consist of the following stages:
Shortlisting –Pre-Work Assignment –Interview(Round One) –Interview (Round two if required)

Job Email ID:

people(at)ayang.org.in